Appartments with view on the IJ

When the western section of the Shell site fell vacant following Shell’s relocation in 2009, this provided the opportunity to develop the new residential district Overhoeks on the northern IJ waterfront.

Geurst & Schultze architecten designed the master plan, in which the new development does not link up with the neighbourhood Van der Pekbuurt to the north, but rather is completely orientated to the IJ. In the heart of the area are large apartment buildings whose scale lies between that of an urban block and an urban villa. Together, they create a high density of between 150 and 200 dwellings per hectare. Three of these buildings, named after ocean-going vessels as a reminder of the city’s maritime history, were designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. ‘De Europa’ was the first of these to be completed and is situated on the edge of the area, next to Shell’s new headquarters. As stipulated in the brief, the building is a freestanding apartment complex and from the fifth storey upwards the building mass is set back in order to provide space for blconies, roof terraces and roof gardens. Architectural expression is found in the loggias and the use of white Greek marble slabs, with which virtually the entire exterior is clad. In addition to a fitness club and sauna on the ground floor, the complex contains 79 luxury rental and owner-occupied apartments, each of which has a large window or an exterior space with a view over the waterside park, the inner courtyard or the IJ. Because the complex
is built on top of a parking basement, the apartments on the ground floor also have an unobstructed view over the IJ. (ARCAM)